Author: Nicholas Racine
Interviewer: Daniel Schlosser
World War II was one of the earliest large scale, non-stop wars in history. Faster vehicles, communication devices, and the radar kept soldiers on high alert at all hours of the day. Sleeplessness took its toll in the form of fatigue and low morale. To preserve the war effort, numerous governments in the European Theater sanctioned the use of stimulant drugs Benzedrine (amphetamine) and Pervitin (methamphetamine). Potent and powerful, these stimulants kept soldiers awake, alert, and proficient for several hours in the wake of sleep deprivation. Though controversial, each drug remains a distant and close memory as a panacea among psychiatrists, doctors, and military men alike.